Lauren’s career journey at Audley: from Travel Specialist to Sales Team Manager

Sales Team Manager Lauren reflects on her career journey at Audley.

I’ve always been obsessed with travel and have seized every opportunity to see other countries, from my year out living in the Ecuadorian jungle to volunteering in an ashram in India.

My dream was to find a job where I could combine my love of travel with meeting new people. I started my travel career as a tour leader, taking in the culture and highlights of Europe before settling back in the UK.

That’s when I came across Audley, and I’ve never looked back. I’ve been here for six years and it still ticks every box.

Lauren, Sigiriya Rock, Sri Lanka

I joined Audley as a Travel Sales Specialist, a role I loved because you get to experience every aspect of your client’s journey, including touring the destinations you specialise in to ensure you can call yourself a true expert.

You talk your clients through every detail of the trip they’re envisaging and then design an itinerary to match, making sure everything is tailored to what they’ll find most rewarding. The relationship with your client continues through all the excitement before their trip until they’ve returned, when you catch up with them to hear all about it.

I really liked being their one point of contact and the rapport this enabled me to build. The job requires efficiency and communication skills, but the rewards are high.

Lauren at Chamundi Hill, Mysore

The Travel Sales Specialist role is very varied and so is the training that Audley provides to make sure you’re the very best you can be in every aspect of the job.

Development is also a focus. When I was ready to progress, the support was always right there. I took advantage of this and was promoted to Sales Team Manager just over two years ago.

Lauren, Uda Walawe National Park, Sri Lanka

I now support my team in their development, which I find hugely rewarding, while still being immersed in travel.

As a Sales Specialist, you’re very much in charge of your day and what you’re doing. As a Sales Team Manager, your day can be dictated by the needs of your team. This makes it a very varied and exciting role, with new challenges presenting themselves all the time.

Communication skills, attention to detail, customer service, problem solving and, of course, management skills — inspiring your team to be their best — are all useful in the role.

Lauren in Queenstown with colleagues

Throughout my time at Audley, I’ve been based in our Witney office in Oxfordshire, which is perfect for me.

My commute is seven minutes, I live and work in the beautiful Cotswolds, and the office itself is a converted mill in the countryside. My colleagues are all likeminded, and we have a lot of fun working together. What more could you want?

If you’d like to become a Sales Team Manager or a Travel Sales Specialist we have roles available in both our Oxfordshire and London offices. Visit our careers website for more details about these roles.